In 2006, The Open University, the University of Southampton and Canterbury Christ Church
University were commissioned by the then Department for Education and Skills (DfES), now
Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) to conduct a three-year longitudinal
study of languages learning at Key Stage 2 (KS2). The qualitative study was designed to explore
provision, practice and developments over three school years between 2006/07 and 2008/09 in a sample of primary schools and explore children’s achievement in oracy and literacy, as well as the possible broader cross-curricular impact of languages learning.

The whole report can be downloaded from the DCSF website here. The key findings are also summarised below.

Key findings
• Head teachers, languages co-ordinators and most teachers involved with languages were
enthusiastic and committed. In addition to their intrinsic value, they saw languages as
enriching and broadening their overall curriculum provision. They also perceived
languages as making a substantial contribution to children’s personal and social
development and to their literacy development in English.

• Children were enthusiastic about their learning experience in most case study schools and
appreciated the interactive teaching, and the wide variety of game-like activities, which
made learning languages fun. Children indicated they were motivated by the language
learning process itself as well as by their perceptions of the wider value of languages.

• French was the most commonly taught language, followed by Spanish and German, with
minimal evidence of the teaching of other European or world languages. A discrete lesson
of 30-40 minutes was typically timetabled for most Key Stage 2 year groups.

• Staffing for languages was a key concern for head teachers and influential in determining
delivery models. These involved specialist teachers, class teachers or a combination of
both.

• Teachers and schools valued the training opportunities and support available, and these
were impacting positively on provision. However, there was an ongoing need for the
development of teachers' personal language skills; further training was also needed for the
teaching of literacy and intercultural understanding, developing cross-curricular links, and
ensuring progression in children’s learning and assessment.

• Schools were drawing increasingly on the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages (DfES,
2005) and QCA schemes of work (QCA, 2007, 2009) to inform planning; Framework
learning objectives for oracy and to a lesser extent literacy were being incorporated into
local schemes of work. The development of intercultural understanding was seen as an
important underlying rationale for languages, but there was little evidence of systematic
reference to Framework objectives in this area.

• Where children had been taught languages throughout Key Stage 2, there was some
evidence of progression in their learning. However, whole school curriculum planning and
assessment practices remain areas for further development.

• Children’s performance in the assessment activities carried out by the research team was
variable, but findings indicate that children can achieve levels in listening, speaking and
reading in line with national expectations (equivalent to Year 6 outcomes in the Key Stage
2 Framework for Languages (DfES, 2005) and / or Asset Languages Breakthrough) after
four years of learning one language. Writing remains the most challenging area for these
learners; the best performances were found where children had received consistent
provision, and where teachers’ linguistic skills were strong.

• A school-wide vision for the learning and teaching of languages was important for
successful provision. This originated with the head teacher and, in the majority of cases,
was mediated and taken forward by the languages co-ordinator, and by class teachers
willing to engage with teaching and training opportunities, especially languages upskilling.

• Funding for training and for physical and human resources has been significant in enabling
the development of provision. Schools have an expectation that funding for ongoing
professional development will be maintained and that training to teach languages will
become an integral part of initial teacher education.